Secondary school pupils in England will be able to study subjects like manufacturing and AI in addition to core academic learning under reforms outlined by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The government said the courses, which would be available from Year 10, would be linked to local industries and designed to give children a clearer pathway into work.

Data published this year showed more than one million young people across the UK were not in education, employment or training, the highest level in more than 12 years.

The government has described the policy as a “fundamental change to the education system” but few details behind the broad political vision have been published so far.

Writing in the Times, external, Burnham said: “In the age of AI, practical and technical skills haven’t become less valuable – they’ve become more valuable than ever. Britain will need brilliant engineers, electricians and cybersecurity experts more than ever before.

“For the first time, technical education will be at the heart of our curriculum, not bolted onto the sides.”

Pupils would continue to study core maths, English and science but would also have the option of combining the subjects with technical education.

It will include the chance to gain work experience and create connections with local employers, Burnham said.

The Association of School and College Leaders, which speaks for many secondary headteachers, said they welcomed the ambition of preventing young people falling out of education or work at 16.

With schools already asked to manage on tight budgets and support radical reforms to special educational needs, the union also said there was an issue of capacity.

The BBC understands that the government expects the new pathways into work to be up and running in some areas by 2028.

Burnham said that “for too long” students had been told to take academic subjects to “do well and be respected”.

“My message to young people is this – whether you choose construction, coding or classics, or maths, manufacturing or mechanics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve.”

The government, he added, was delivering the “major shake-up” required to fix the youth unemployment crisis in Britain, starting with improving the availability and quality of technical education.

Along with the changes to learning, Ofsted will change the way it measures performance and will inspect for technical education. It is not clear how this will fit alongside national measures designed to hold schools to account for the number of pupils taking core academic GCSEs.